miHoYo: The Open-World Journey of an Otaku

Gregory Stoller,Allison Li,Jingyi Wang,Man Pok Bob Yuk,Rebecca Trang Academy of Asian Business (AAB) 2022 Academy of Asian Business Review Vol.8 No.2

In this case study, we analyze the key factors to growth, success, and maintenance of the Chinese gaming company, miHoYo. Before the company's mission, culture, and future goals were established, there was much trial and error. From financial difficulties to figuring out innovative marketing strategies, miHoYo truly found their niche and exhibited that all throughout their company, products, and people. Battling against gaming giants like Tencent and NetEase, miHoYo managed to define their target audience and market purely to what they call ‘tech otakus’. Evident in their storyline and character development process, miHoYo places a large emphasis into its characters. The gacha system paired with charming characters make it so users have no choice but to spend money. But there’s a nuance here. Unlike other mobile / online games, many of the upgrades are optional. It’s all a matter of how much a user is tempted to upgrade; marketing at its finest. Additionally and with endless updates and new worlds to explore, miHoYo quickly achieved international success, actively engaging with users through social media platforms and appealing to global audiences through culturally respectful advertisements. Although faced with financial difficulties in the early stages and harsh criticism from users about plagiarism, miHoYo managed to stay true to the company vision and continue developing as one team. Now rebranded as HoYoverse, the company strives to take gaming to the next level by investing millions into their research and development. miHoYo recognizes the importance of virtual reality in gaming to increase sensory feelings and enhance the gaming experience. For this reason, the company partnered with a hospital to research brain-computer interfaces hoping to create a virtual world in which people are willing to live in by 2030. What started as a project funded by competition scholarship money turned into three founders paving the way towards ground-breaking technologies in the gaming industry.

Different Climate Regimes Over the Coastal Regions of the Eastern Antarctic Ice Sheet

Xiao Cunde,Qin Dahe,Li Zhongqin,Ren Jiawen,Ian Allison 한국해양과학기술원 2002 Ocean and Polar Research Vol.24 No.3

For ten firn cores, from both the eastern and the western side of Lambert Glacier basin (LGB), snow accumulation rate and isotopic temperature were measured for the recent 50 years. Results show that snow accumulation for five cores over the eastern side of LGB (GC30, GD03, GD15, DT001, and DT085) at Wilks Land and Princess Elizabeth Land increases, whereas it decreases at the western side (Core E, DML05, W200, LGB16, and MGA) at Dronning Maud Land, Mizuho Plateau and Kamp Land. For the past decades, the increasing rate was 0.34-2.36 kg m2 a1 at the eastern side and the decreasing rate was 0.01-2.36 kg m2 a1 at the western side. Temperatures at the eastern LGB were also increased with the rate of 0.02‰ a1. At the western LGB it was difficult to see clear trends, which were confirmed by instrumental temperature records at coastal stations. Although statistic analysis and modeling results display that both surface temperature and accumulation rate has increased trends in Antarctic ice sheet during 1950-2000, the regional distributions were much more different for different geographic areas. We believe that ice-core records at Wilks Land and Princess Elizabeth Land reflect the real variations of SST and moisture change in the southern India Ocean. For the Kamp Land and Dronning Maud Land, however, circulation pattern was different, by which the climate was more complicated. The International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (ITASE) aimed to reveal an overall spatial pattern of climate change over Antarctic ice sheet for the past 200 years. This study points the importance of continental to regional circulation to annual-decadal scale climate change in Antarctica.

Improving the Workplace Experience of Caregiver-Employees: A Time-Series Analysis of a Workplace Intervention

Ding, Regina,Dardas, Anastassios,Wang, Li,Williams, Allison Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2021 Safety and health at work Vol.12 No.3

Background: Rapid population aging in developed countries has resulted in the working-age population increasingly being tasked with the provision of informal care. Methods: An educational intervention was delivered to 21 carer-employees employed at a Canadian University. Work role function, job security, schedule control, work-family conflict, familywork conflict, and supervisor and coworker support were measured as part of an aggregated workplace experience score. This score was used to measure changes pre/post intervention and at a follow-up period approximately 12 months post intervention. Three random intercept models were created via linear mixed modeling to illustrate changes in participants' workplace experience across time. Results: All three models reported statistically significant random and fixed effects intercepts, with a positive coefficient of change. Conclusion: This suggests that the intervention demonstrated an improvement of the workplace experience score for participants over time, with the association particularly strong immediately after intervention.

Different Climate Regimes Over the Coastal Regions of the Eastern Antarctic Ice Sheet

Cunde, Xiao,Dahe, Qin,Zhongqin, Li,Jiawen, Ren,Allison, Ian Korea Institute of Ocean ScienceTechnology 2002 Ocean and Polar Research Vol.24 No.3

For ten firn cores, from both the eastern and the western side of Lambert Glacier basin (LGB), snow accumulation rate and isotopic temperature were measured far the recent 50 years. Results show that snow accumulation for five cores over the eastern side of LGB (GC30, GD03, GD15, DT001, and DT085) at Wilks Land and Princess Elizabeth Land increases, whereas it decreases at the western side (Core E, DML05, W200, LGB 16, and MGA) at Dronning Maud Land, Mizuho Plateau and Kamp Land. For the past decades, the increasing rate was $0.34-2.36kg\;m^{-2}a^{-1}$ at the eastern side and the decreasing rate was $-0.01\;-\;-2.36kg\;m^{-2}\;a^{-1}$ at the western side. Temperatures at the eastern LGB were also increased with the rate of $0.02%o\;a^{-l}$. At the western LGB it was difficult to see clear trends, which were confirmed by Instrumental temperature records at coastal stations. Although statistic analysis and modeling results display that both surface temperature and accumulation rate has increased trends in Antarctic ice sheet during 1950-2000, the regional distributions were much more different for different geographic areas. We believe that ice-core records at Wilks Land and Princess Elizabeth Land reflect the real variations of SST and moisture change in the southern India Ocean. For the Kamp Land and Dronning Maud Land, however circulation pattern was different, by which the climate was more complicated. The International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (ITASE) aimed to reveal an overall spatial pattern of climate change over Antarctic ice sheet for the past 200 years. This study points the importance of continental to regional circulation to annual-decadal scale climate change in Antarctica.

Effect of coadministration of enriched Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) on cardiometabolic outcomes in type-2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial

Elena Jovanovski,Lea Smircic-Duvnjak,Allison Komishon,Fei (Rodney) Au-Yeung,John L. Sievenpiper,Andreea Zurbau,Alexandra L. Jenkins,Mi-Kyung Sung,Robert Josse,Dandan Li,Vladimir Vuksan 고려인삼학회 2021 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.45 No.5

Background: Diabetes mellitus and hypertension often occur together, amplifying cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and emphasizing the need for a multitargeted treatment approach. American ginseng (AG) and Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) species could improve glycemic control via complementary mechanisms. Additionally, a KRG-inherent component, ginsenoside Rg3, may moderate blood pressure (BP). Our objective was to investigate the therapeutic potential of coadministration of Rg3-enriched Korean Red Ginseng (Rg3-KRG) and AG, added to standard of care therapy, in the management of hypertension and cardiometabolic risk factors in type-2 diabetes. Methods: Within a randomized controlled, parallel design of 80 participants with type-2 diabetes (HbA1c: 6.5e8%) and hypertension (systolic BP: 140e160 mmHg or treated), supplementation with either 2.25 g/day of combined Rg3-KRG þ AG or wheat-bran control was assessed over a 12-wk intervention period. The primary endpoint was ambulatory 24-h systolic BP. Additional endpoints included further hemodynamic assessment, glycemic control, plasma lipids and safety monitoring. Results: Combined ginseng intervention generated a mean ± SE decrease in primary endpoint of 24-h systolic BP (-3.98 ± 2.0 mmHg, p = 0.04). Additionally, there was a greater reduction in HbA1c (-0.35 ± 0.1% [e3.8 ± 1.1 mmol/mol], p = 0.02), and change in blood lipids: total cholesterol (-0.50 ± 0.2 mmol/l, p = 0.01), non-HDL-C (-0.54 ± 0.2 mmol/l, p = 0.01), triglycerides (-0.40 ± 0.2 mmol/l, p = 0.02) and LDL-C (-0.35 ± 0.2 mmol/l, p = 0.06) at 12 wks, relative to control. No adverse safety outcomes were observed. Conclusion: Coadministration of Rg3-KRG þ AG is an effective addon for improving BP along with attaining favorable cardiometabolic outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Ginseng derivatives may offer clinical utility when included in the polypharmacy and lifestyle treatment of diabetes. Clinical trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier, NCT01578837;

Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood in a Person of Malay Ethnicity with Diffusion Tensor Imaging Abnormalities

Ai Huey Tan,Tien Lee Ong,Norlisah Ramli,Li Kuo Tan,Jia Lun Lim,Mohamad Addin Azhan,Azlina Ahmad Annuar,Khairul Azmi Ibrahim,Zariah Abdul-Aziz,Laurie J. Ozelius,Allison Brashear,Shen-Yang LIM 대한파킨슨병및이상운동질환학회 2019 Journal Of Movement Disorders Vol.12 No.2

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a rare neurodevelopmentaldisorder with an incidence of one per million,characterized by paroxysmal alternating hemiplegia, eye movementabnormalities, dystonia, and epilepsy.1 In 2012, mutationsin the ATP1A3 gene encoding the Na+-K+-ATPase α3 subunit(originally discovered in rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism)were identified as the cause for AHC.1,2 However, the diagnosisof AHC is still often delayed or missed. We report a case of AHCdiagnosed in adulthood; to our knowledge, this is the first reportin a person of Malay ethnicity.

Suppression of GHS-R in AgRP Neurons Mitigates Diet-Induced Obesity by Activating Thermogenesis

Wu, Chia-Shan,Bongmba, Odelia Y. N.,Yue, Jing,Lee, Jong Han,Lin, Ligen,Saito, Kenji,Pradhan, Geetali,Li, De-Pei,Pan, Hui-Lin,Xu, Allison,Guo, Shaodong,Xu, Yong,Sun, Yuxiang MDPI AG 2017 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES Vol.18 No.4

<P>Ghrelin, an orexigenic hormone released primarily from the gut, signals the hypothalamus to stimulate growth hormone release, enhance appetite and promote weight gain. The ghrelin receptor, aka Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor (GHS-R), is highly expressed in the brain, with highest expression in Agouti-Related Peptide (AgRP) neurons of the hypothalamus. We recently reported that neuron-specific deletion of GHS-R completely prevents diet-induced obesity (DIO) in mice by activating non-shivering thermogenesis. To further decipher the specific neuronal circuits mediating the metabolic effects of GHS-R, we generated AgRP neuron-specific GHS-R knockout mice (<I>AgRP-Cre</I>;<I>Ghsr<SUP>f/f</SUP></I>). Our data showed that GHS-R in AgRP neurons is required for ghrelin’s stimulatory effects on growth hormone secretion, acute food intake and adiposity, but not for long-term total food intake. Importantly, deletion of GHS-R in AgRP neurons attenuated diet-induced obesity (DIO) and enhanced cold-resistance in mice fed high fat diet (HFD). The HFD-fed knockout mice showed increased energy expenditure, and exhibited enhanced thermogenic activation in both brown and subcutaneous fat; this implies that GHS-R suppression in AgRP neurons enhances sympathetic outflow. In summary, our results suggest that AgRP neurons are key site for GHS-R mediated thermogenesis, and demonstrate that GHS-R in AgRP neurons plays crucial roles in governing energy utilization and pathogenesis of DIO.</P>

Recruitment of Rod Photoreceptors from Short-Wavelength-Sensitive Cones during the Evolution of Nocturnal Vision in Mammals

Kim, J.W.,Yang, H.J.,Oel, A.,Brooks, M.,Jia, L.,Plachetzki, D.,Li, W.,Allison, W.,Swaroop, A. Cell Press 2016 DEVELOPMENTAL CELL Vol.37 No.6

<P>Vertebrate ancestors had only cone-like photoreceptors. The duplex retina evolved in jawless vertebrates with the advent of highly photosensitive rod-like photoreceptors. Despite cones being the arbiters of high-resolution color vision, rods emerged as the dominant photoreceptor in mammals during a nocturnal phase early in their evolution. We investigated the evolutionary and developmental origins of rods in two divergent vertebrate retinas. In mice, we discovered genetic and epigenetic vestiges of short-wavelength cones in developing rods, and cell-lineage tracing validated the genesis of rods from S cones. Curiously, rods did not derive from S cones in zebrafish. Our study illuminates several questions regarding the evolution of duplex retina and supports the hypothesis that, in mammals, the S-cone lineage was recruited via the Maf-family transcription factor NRL to augment rod photoreceptors. We propose that this developmental mechanism allowed the adaptive exploitation of scotopic niches during the nocturnal bottleneck early in mammalian evolution.</P>